Virgal in Hinduism is a memorial built to honor a hero who
dies while protecting a village, cattle, or saving the honor of a woman. The memorials
are known as hero stones and are found in different parts of the country
especially in Karnataka.
The custom of erecting Virgal is believed to have begun in the
4th century AD and it continued until the 19th century AD. The maximum Virgal
were erected between 13th and 16th century AD.
There are generally bands of carvings on the Virgal, of
which the lowest one depicts the hero fighting with the raiders, and the next
one shows him going to heaven. At the top is carved a Shivling. The fallen hero
assumes divine status and is worshipped.